Bicarbonate of soda, or baking soda, is an alkali which is used to raise soda breads and full-…

Method

Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Line the base and ends of two greased 450g/1lb non-stick loaf tins with strips of baking parchment.

Pour the hot tea into a mixing bowl with the malt, sugar and dried fruit. Stir well, then add the eggs.

Tip in the flour, then quickly stir in the baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and pour into the prepared tins. Bake for 50 mins until firm and well risen. While still warm, brush with a little more malt to glaze and leave to cool.

Remove from the tins. If you can bear not to eat it straight away, it gets more sticky after wrapping and keeping for 2-5 days. Serve sliced and buttered, if you like.

Comments, questions and tips

LOVE this. I've made it a few times and have altered bits to suit me. I use two tea bags for the hot tea and make sure they are squeezed as this adds to the flavour, I also don't bother topping with malt. However these are my changes the original is lovely as it is. Nothing better than a slice toasted for 30 seconds and some butter one.

bat_e_bird

20th Aug, 2018

5.05

Delicious! The only change I made was to use sultanas instead of mixed fruit. I only made it today, and couldn't wait to try it - I'll see if it gets even better with age.

kitchenqu33n

27th Feb, 2018

5.05

OMG, OMG, OMG, this is amazing. Better than the one from the supermarket that sounds like Noreen and better than fruit cake or tea loaf. I used Sainsbury's basic mixed fruit with peel and it is delicious. I didn't make two loaves I just poured the batter into one tin and it came out perfect. 10/10.

Zopo

26th Nov, 2017

5.05

I had to sign up for an account just to tell you THANKS for introducing me to my new addiction. The bread is AMAZING!! So unlike anything else I've ever had and just so delicious! I have to get a subscription for malt extract now to keep up with my habit! :oP

reichem

29th Mar, 2017

5.05

Made this for a cake day at work. It disappeared quickly with many people saying it was the best they had eaten. I made it a few days beforehand and it definitely got stickier on keeping. I soaked the fruit in the tea for an hour or so before mixing and made a single large loaf rather than two smaller ones. I will definitely be doing this again.

cnew

29th Mar, 2017

5.05

The whole family absolutely loves this recipe - I make at least one a week now and always have one in the freezer.
Found it's cheaper to buy malt extract in bulk online.

jayncee

21st Mar, 2017

5.05

Made this a couple of days ago and it was lovely. My partner took some to work for his mates and they all loved it, said it was the nicest they've ever had, and even want the recipe lol. Made as the recipe states apart from soaking the fruit in the tea, malt and sugar for a few hours first. The fruit didn't sink at all. Making another batch now. So glad i found this recipe.

KazL_aka_Red

30th Nov, 2016

5.05

I made this as one two pound malt loaf because I don't have the smaller tins. It turned out very nicely for a healthy (fat free) cake. It is much tastier than a brought one. I added a little bit of cinnamon (I was in a hurry and couldn't find the mixed spice). I shall make this again.

arnie_pipe

17th Sep, 2016

5.05

I've made this recipe a few times now and it always turns out perfectly! As others have said, it's not exactly the same as a Soreen loaf as it's a bit less squishy and probably a little less sweet, which I think I prefer. It does seem to cook in 40 - 45 mins rather than 50, but that may be because I'm using a bigger loaf tin, so it's a bit more spread out. It seems fairly forgiving of a few extra minutes anyway.
I also use half wholemeal flour in an attempt to make it slightly healthier, and this works absolutely fine.
Patience is definitely rewarded - it seems to get better the longer you leave it wrapped up!!

Mishi10

29th Jun, 2016

5.05

I made this for the first time today and was very impressed with how easy and tasty this malt loaf is. I didn't have malt extract (and my local supermarkets didn't have it) and wasn't going to go on an expedition to find any but I had some malted milk powder. so I used about 150g of that and omitted the sugar because the powder had enough in it plus I used the whole 375g packet of mixed dried fruit I bought. I also added more hot tea to make up for the absorbent qualities of the malted milk powder (approx 250-300ml instead of 150ml). My two loaves took a fair bit longer than 50 minutes to cook through but the end result was delicious. The fruit was evenly distributed throughout and it was sweet and malty but not overly either. I didn't bother with the glaze. I've had two slices with butter and marmalade as afternoon tea and have no doubt the rest will be eaten by the other members of the household tonight! The second loaf I will wrap up to see how much it improves over the next few days (like my great nan's fruit cake).

Pages

From where can i purchase the malt extract? i'm dying to try this recipe!

goodfoodteam

4th Feb, 2019

Thanks for your question. You can get it from larger supermarkets and also health food shops.

Daisydog55

2nd Jun, 2018

what is black tea?

goodfoodteam

5th Jun, 2018

Thanks for your question. Black tea is just standard tea that you would buy from the supermarket. We specify this so it's clear not to use green or herbal or to add milk.

awolf44

6th Nov, 2016

Hello from the US! I've found Malt Extract on Amazon, but it's available in both liquid and powder form. Which one?? Thanks!

goodfoodteam

14th Nov, 2016

Hi there, we used the one that is like a syrup. Glad you were able to find it online. It's also available in health food shops.

rockybman

6th Nov, 2016

Could I half the amounts or would this affect the rise?

goodfoodteam

14th Nov, 2016

Hi, yes you can halve all of the amounts but you'll need to cook it in a smaller tin and also adjust the cooking time but it won't affect the rise at all.

rockybman

6th Nov, 2016

I noticed the total amount of ingredients is greater than a kilo/Lb. Could I half this to make a 1Lb loaf or 3/4 to make a 1.5Lb loaf in a bread maker?

goodfoodteam

14th Nov, 2016

This recipe makes two cakes, and you could halve it easily. We can't say how this would work out in your bread maker as appliances vary. It might be a case of experimenting. Let us know how you get on.

Pages

I soaked my sulatanas and other fruits in chai tea for a bit of extra flavor and added the grated zest of an orange. It lends a bright pop to the bread.

jayncee

21st Mar, 2017

5.05

I soaked the fruit in the tea, malt and sugar for a few hours beforehand and the fruit didn't sink at all.

Rosiepk

4th Jun, 2016

I found malt extract in health food shop
Recipe is great thank you bbc good food

hesterjames

19th Feb, 2014

Yummy!
A note to those who had problems with rising or sunk in middle. Mine took much longer to cook than the advised 50 mins. In fact it took 1hr 20. Tasted great though. The cooking temp is very low so I suspect most ovens will need a bit more time. I just tested it by gently pushing the top. If it still moved, I popped it back for another 10 mins at a time.

KazL_aka_Red

30th Nov, 2016

5.05

Mine took a little longer but it was a single 2lb loaf.
You must preheat ovens properly for cakes. I preheated the oven at a higher temperature GM4 (I was baking a sponge) and then reduced the heat to GM2 when I put it in.
I switch my oven on when I start to bake and get the tins ready. Stand the tins on top of the oven so they are warming (not hot).

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